You Asked For It

By ANNE LONG

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 2, 2001

Multicolored cookies never occupy oven

Stained glass, church windows or cathedral windows refrigerator cookies are unbaked cookies prepared by combining melted chocolate chips with multicolored miniature marshmallows and chopped nuts. Form the dough into rolls and coat with flaked coconut. When they are well-chilled, cut into slices, and you have an attractive addition to the cookie platter.

Compromise cake is a moist cake that begins with applesauce, contains raisins and dates, and is flavored with unsweetened cocoa and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. This tube cake will serve a good number of people.

Potato pancakes or potato latkes are made with shredded raw potatoes, grated onion and beaten eggs. Mix in the dry ingredients and fry in a little oil. Drain and serve with applesauce for a satisfying supper dish. Some readers serve them with apple butter, and some add sour cream as a topping.

Calamondin cake can be enjoyed all year. Wash calamondins, cut in half, remove seeds and puree in the blender. Freeze in desired portions and use when you wish. A packaged lemon cake or yellow cake mix makes it an easy cake to make, and a delicious one.

For: Jean Horne of St. Petersburg.

From: Kelly Friedman of Palm Harbor, Susan Beecher of St. Louis, Laura Harrington and Dolores Corneau of St. Petersburg, Angie Colombo of Oldsmar, Norma Jean Smith of Safety Harbor, Lorraine Backey of Spring Hill, Dorothy Dillon of Clearwater, Nancy Fontaine of Largo, Anne Jones of Dunedin, Barbara Cohee of Temple Terrace, Betty Lou Harris of Brooksville, Terry St. Onge of New Port Richey, Eleanor Abell of Crystal River, Jean McCarn of Brandon and many others.

Recipe: Church Windows, unbaked refrigerator cookies.

Church Window Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 10.5-ounce bag multicolored miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup flaked coconut, divided (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat until completely melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and walnuts. Cool the mixture for about 15 minutes, but not to the point of hardening. Fold in the marshmallows and stir until well-coated.

Spoon half of the mixture lengthwise down the center of a 12-inch piece of waxed paper. Shape into a 2- by 12-inch log and place at one edge of the waxed paper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over the remainder of the waxed paper. Roll the log over the coconut, evenly coating the outside of the entire log. Wrap the log firmly in the waxed paper, folding the ends snugly. Repeat with the other half of the marshmallow mixture and 1/2 cup of coconut. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. Unwrap each log and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

For: Ann Mannion of Lecanto.

From: Patricia Lynch of St. Petersburg.

Recipe: Compromise Cake, clipped from Southern Living years ago.

Compromise Cake

• 11/2 cups applesauce
• 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 11/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease bottom of a 10-inch tube pan; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Grease and flour lining and pan; set aside. Combine applesauce and soda; set aside. Combine raisins, dates and pecans; set aside.

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour and next five ingredients; add 1/2 cup flour mixture to raisin mixture; toss gently and set aside. Gradually add remaining flour mixture to creamed mixture, mixing well. Add applesauce mixture and raisin mixture. Stir in vanilla.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: one 10-inch cake.

For: Zo Johnson of Sun City Center.

From: Juanita Washington of Clearwater.

Recipe: Potato Latkes from America's Best Recipes. The recipe was included in What's Cooking?, published by the Sisterhood of Temple Shalom, Succasunna, N.J.

Potato Latkes

• 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper
• Vegetable oil
• Commercial applesauce

Press potato between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Combine potato and next six ingredients. Drop 1/4 cup potato mixture at a time into 1/8-inch hot oil; press into 3-inch rounds with the back of a fork. Fry until golden, turning once. Drain. Serve with applesauce. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

For: Elizabeth Graubard of Palm Harbor.

From: Nadine Clement of Pinellas Park, and Blanche Patterson and Ruth Estler of New Port Richey.

Recipe: Calamondin Cake.

Calamondin Cake

Cake:

• 1 package two-layer yellow cake mix (or lemon cake mix)
• 1 3-ounce package lemon gelatin (or lemon instant pudding mix)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup calamondin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup calamondin puree
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Prepare 3/4 cup calamondin puree by halving and seeding calamondins, then processing them in a blender; set aside. Puree will be divided.

Thoroughly mix cake mix, dry gelatin, milk and 1/2 cup calamondin puree. Beat eggs, oil and lemon extract together; add to first mixture. Mix well.

Place in greased and floured angel food tube pan or 9- by 13-inch sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch or wooden pick comes out clean. Let tube cake sit for about 10 minutes, then turn out.

Combine ingredients for glaze. While cake is warm, pour glaze over top.

Recipe requests

Bill Alexander of Treasure Island writes that barbecue spaghetti is a specialty of the Memphis, Tenn., area. He wants to try his hand at it but needs a recipe.

Millionaire's pie is rich and delicious. This is the recipe that Jennie Miller of Crystal Beach hopes you will share.

Many restaurants serve a tasty olive oil and herb mixture with bread or rolls instead of butter. Cindi Henry of Seminole and Elsie Wallace of Clearwater would like to have this recipe to add to their repertoires.

You Asked for It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to: You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.

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